


Empathy

by ScreechTheMighty



Category: Pacific Rim
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, of a sort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 12:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1225705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScreechTheMighty/pseuds/ScreechTheMighty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newton Geiszler is irritating at best and unbearable at worst. But that doesn't mean Hermann Gottlieb is incapable of sympathizing with him.</p><p>(Updated on 4/11/2017 as part of my Great Fic Cleansing of 2017.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Empathy

**Author's Note:**

> I have no explanation for this, other than "I really really wanted to write it". Takes place sometime during the five years they're stuck together in Hong Kong.
> 
> Edited this fic on 4/11/2017 to fix questionable grammar/sentence structure/writing in general.

Newton had been behaving oddly all day.

Of course, when Newton was behaving oddly, it meant he was acting like a normal human being. Hermann knew he should have been enjoying the reprieve from his colleague's usual racket. He was not. Instead, he found himself battling a sense of concern. Something must have been wrong. Newton wouldn't be behaving this way if something wasn't wrong.

Hermann remembered seeing Newton speaking with Tendo Choi at breakfast. Whatever it was about, Hermann hadn't been able to tell. They had been too far away. But Tendo's body language had been comforting, and Newton seemed to be distressed. That interaction ruled out Newton being just sick or tired. He probably wouldn't have been working so diligently if it had been one of those, anyway. Newton hadn't left his side of the lab since he'd entered it this morning. He just fiddled with his samples, typed up findings, and didn't say a word.

Yes, something must have happened. But Hermann didn't bring it up. He wasn't sure how to without Newton brushing him off.  _He wouldn't tell me,_ Hermann concluded as he turned his attention back to his chalk boards.  _We argue far too much for him to c_ _onfide in me. Whatever it is, I'm sure he can deal with it without my intervention._

It was a weak justification and Hermann knew it. But he kept repeating it to himself for the rest of the morning. Then Newton skipped lunch. Not skipped lunch in an "I'm busy, Herms, I'll grab something to eat later" way. It was pushing three o'clock and he hadn't done a thing to indicate he was planning on eating. Newton was prone to hyperfocusing, sometimes to the point of forgetting to eat, but nothing else about his behavior spoke to hyperfocus. He'd been working but it was listless, unenthusiastic. Hermann couldn't ignore his concern any longer. There was  _abnormal,_ and then there was _worrying._ This crossed the line.

"I do hope you plan on eating at some point today," Hermann said.

Newton didn't turn around or look up from his microscope. "I'm not hungry," he said. 

 _Of course you're not._ "Hungry or not, you need to eat something." Hermann struggled with himself briefly before giving in and walking towards Newton's side of the lab. "Did you even have breakfast?"

"Don't mother me, Hermann." There was a spark of the usual irritation in Newton's voice, but it sounded less confrontational and more defensive. His stance had become more defensive as well; his shoulders had tensed, his head ducked lower. "I'm a grown-ass man, I can take care of myself..."

Hermann gave up. _Might as well get it over with._ "Newton, is something wrong? You've been behaving oddly all day."

When Newton didn't immediately respond, Hermann braced himself for the usual deflections. _I'm fine. It's none of your business. Go back to your numbers, Hermann..._

"My dad was in a car accident."

_Oh._

It wasn't just the confession that startled Hermann. It was the fact that Newton had made it at  _all,_ coupled with the way Newton said it. His voice was quiet, and audibly thick with emotion. "He's okay, he's just a bit scraped up, he'll be out of the hospital tomorrow. But...it was almost pretty bad, you know, and I wasn't..." The sentence trailed off, but he didn't have to finish it. Hermann was smart enough to fill in that blank. Newton didn't talk about his father all that much, but when he did, it was only in the most glowing terms. If something had happened, if Newton's father had been seriously injured or killed...

Hermann may not have had the best relationship with his own father, and he may have viewed Newton and his antics with perpetual irritation. But that didn't mean he couldn't empathize with the man. "I'm sorry," said Hermann. "I understand, it must be difficult. But I'm sure he'll be all right, if they're letting him out of the hospital so soon." He recalled the way Tendo had rubbed Newt's shoulder before seeing him off at breakfast. After some slight hesitation, Hermann mimicked the gesture by stepping forward to rest a hand on Newt's shoulder. "Will  _you_ be all right?"

From this distance and angle, Hermann could finally see Newton's face. The scientist looked confused at first, glancing at his shoulder then Hermann with a puzzled expression. Then, he relaxed, and the confusion became tinted with gratitude. "Yeah, I just..." Newton's voice broke slightly. "I'm still kind of shaken up."

"Understandable. Still, shaken up or not, you should eat something." It probably wasn't what Newton wanted to hear, but it was the truth. "Low blood sugar will only make your emotions more volatile."

"Nerd." The jab had no venom in it; in fact, Newton was smiling a bit as he said it. "Fine, I'll go eat something. God."

"Good." Hermann patted Newt's shoulder a bit awkwardly before backing away. "I'd hate for you to start crying in the lab."

"Don't be stupid, Hermann. Rock stars don't cry."

"Of course they don't."  _Idiot._

There was no venom in Hermann's mental jab, either.

Newton was still quiet for the rest of the day, but his general demeanor was a bit lighter. Nothing else was said on the matter; Newton didn't even comment on Hermann's spontaneous gesture of goodwill. Hermann doubted he would. It wouldn't be like him.

However, when Hermann woke up the next morning, he found that someone had already made coffee for him. A post-it note attached to the thermos only confirmed what he already knew.  _Thanks_ , it read, in Newton's characteristic scrawl. The daft man had even drawn a smiley face.

"You're welcome, I suppose," Hermann sighed aloud. Still, he didn't bother trying to hide his smile.

**Author's Note:**

> May or may not write a thing later that explains how Tendo knew. And by "may or may not" I mean "I'm definitely going to because these stupid Shatterdome cuties are ruining my life."
> 
> Nice Hermann for all the wins.


End file.
